During a tour of Picatinny on Sept. 4, James Zunino (right), Picatinny materials engineer, shows actor John Ratzenberger a modular tool that can be added onto the Multi-Axis Modular Manufacturing Platform for additive manufacturing. Different tools allow the machine to perform different manufacturing techniques.
(Courtesy of Picatinny Arsenal)

PICATINNY ARSENAL — It's a safe bet everyone knew his name — or at least the character name that made him famous.

Actor John Ratzenberger, best known for playing postal worker Cliff Clavin on "Cheers," stopped by Picatinny Arsenal last week as part of a tour to promote manufacturing throughout the United States.

"My mother was in manufacturing, as were my uncles and most of my neighbors. As a matter fact, my uncles helped build the Bridgeport machines that you use right here (at Picatinny)," he told Picatinny personnel, according to a press announcement from the arsenal.

Ratzenberger's website describes him as "the spokesman for the Manufacturing Crisis in America." He says skilled workers are being led away from manufacturing by negative images and worries of low pay — and wants to turn that trend around. Ratzenberger had been a carpenter before becoming an actor.

He's expressed concern over the nation's estimated 600,000 vacant manufacturing jobs, and says America could lose its status as a first-world nation if it can't maintain its infrastructure.

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"Like any child you think the world
is the environment that you grow up in as a child," he said at Picatinny, according to the arsenal. "I
just assumed that everyone knew how to make things. And lo and
behold, over the years realized there are less and less people that
actually know how to make things."

At Picatinny, military scientists and engineers showed Ratzenberger research involving are doing with 3D printing, remote weapon systems and rapid prototyping. They explored additive manufacturing, which includes 3D printing, and lets engineers
create three-dimensional solid objects based off of digital models.

The tour was organized by Picatinny employee James Zunino, materials engineer and printed electronics, energetic, materials and sensors (PEEMS) co-chair. Zunino was introduced to Ratzenberger by a mutual acquaintance, according to the arsenal.

"I told him about our Prototype Integration Facility and the machine shops, and how we have summer hires and interns, and almost have an apprentice system where the younger guys learn from the older ones – and that’s something he’s interested in," Zunino said, according to the Picatinny announcement.

It said the Prototype Integration Facility offers modern production techniques as laser cutting and automated forming.

The researchers and engineers pass on their knowledge to successors at the arsenal and do outreach to universities and small businesses, Zunino said.